Family Matters: Gerber’s squeezable fruits & veggies

If you are the parent or grandparent of a toddler, you know these two things about their eating habits:

They want to do it themselves.

And their version of “doing it themselves” often involves getting more of the food on their hair, clothes, and chair than into their little bellies.

So here is a way they can achieve their first objective, without you having to clean up the second one: Gerber’s new Graduates Grabbers . These squeezable, healthy fruits and vegetables come in a pouch that’s easy for little ones to handle themselves.

The new foods, just widely available this fall, come in five flavors. Many children will think they’re getting a juice pouch – but you’ll know they’re really getting real, pureed fruit and vegetables. In fact, those of you who are always trying to get your kids to eat more vegetables will be pleased to note that, unlike many other pouch products, two of these flavors include veggies in the mix. (The flavors include Banana Blueberry; Apple, Pear & Peach; Apple & Sweet Potato with Cinnamon; Pear & Squash; and Apple, Mango & Strawberry.)

The contents of each pouch are made with 100 percent natural produce, and without any fake colors or flavors. There’s no extra sugar or salt added, either. Each contains two servings of pureed fruit and/or vegetables, and a good helping of Vitamins E and C.

The pouch is smartly designed, too. It’s just the right size to fit in little hands, but the twist-off cap is large enough that it does not present a choking hazard, a potential problem with some brands of pureed foods geared to toddlers. And they will fit nicely into diaper bag or backpack when you’re running out and would like to take a snack beyond Cheerios.

As with any food, you’ll want to supervise your child while they eat a Grabber. But thanks to this self-contained packaging and the child-friendly flavors, you don’t have to worry so much that your child will end up wearing their snack instead of eating it.